Maitland City Talk

On Friday, Aug. 19, playing to an overflow crowd in City Hall, the Maitland City Council hosted a work session of our Community Redevelopment Agency Board, Planning and Zoning Commission, the CRA Advisory Board and our community residents to review several key projects being planned for Maitland’s CRA district and our downtown. In addition to the projects being discussed, we also reviewed a new downtown master plan. In the conceptual stage at this point, this plan shows great promise in drawing to Maitland’s central downtown, the types of development we have been looking for. The format of the discussion was designed to ask the individual developer and/or development partners to give a thumbnail sketch of themselves and their company and describe their project through a graphic and narrative presentation. We began in the northern quadrant of the CRA District — The Sawmill District — and moved southward concluding with the Central Downtown — Independence Lane, Horatio and Packwood Avenues. Our development partners and their presentations were:

•Charles Wallace, Maitland Transportation Engineer/Planner — SunRail Update.

Maitland’s Commuter Rail project is now a reality. Scheduled to open in 2014, it becomes a critical component as we move into the development phase. Our partners — Congressman John Mica, Florida Department of Transportation, Brandon Partners/Parker family, and CNL Bank are poised to develop the northern anchor for Maitland’s CRA District.

•Scott Culp/ Marc Gauthier- Atlantic Housing Partners - Senior Housing Apartments.

Not to forget our seniors, Atlantic Housing Partners is in the process of securing funding for 90 units of quality senior housing. The project will be located at the corner of Sybelia Parkway and U.S. Highway 17-92.This project will also have easy access to shopping (Publix) and transportation (Sun Rail and Lynx), making life a little easier for those residents.

•Carlos Burneo, Trade Street Capital /John Cunningham, ACI – Estates at Maitland (Ravinia).

These luxury apartments are just across the street from our Senior Housing on Sybelia Parkway. Designed by ACi, an internationally recognized architectural firm is slated to develop 425 units and 20,000 square feet of development. This development package will help to round out the residential component of the overall CRA District’s build-out, and is scheduled to begin construction in the first quarter of 2012.

•Verl Emrick – Extension of Independence Lane.

A critical part of any development success is securing adequate infrastructure to support the redevelopment sought. Extending Maitland’s Independence Lane to George Avenue is a part of a program to not only open up a new roadway but it will also extend this part of the City’s stormwater grid, tying it to the regional stormwater facility. This link is made possible through the cooperation of the Smith family, Roger Judski and the First Presbyterian Church of Maitland.

•Rick Baldocchi of Avcon Engineering- Horatio Avenue Improvements.

Another critical roadway project undertaken by the city and funded by Congressman Mica and the Florida Department of Transportation is the improvement of Horatio Avenue. New turn lanes, traffic calming and on-street parking are to be part of this project. These improvements are fully funded and are scheduled to start in November of this year.

•Ed Cantu of Professional Design Associates (PDA) & Jere Pile, local Realtor- Smith Retail Development.

The Smith family, Roger Judski and the city are moving to redevelop the area on the northern border of Horatio Avenue. The project is to provide some 28,000 square feet of new retail, restaurants and a nationally known pharmacy. This development will secure the northern end of the city’s “Central Downtown” already anchored on the south by the construction of our new City Hall and Fire Station #45 at the intersection of Packwood Avenue and Independence Lane.

•Mayor Schieferdecker - City Vision.

Mayor Schieferdecker, working with the City Council, the City’s CRA Board and the Planning and Zoning Commission, presented a new vision to the development of our “Downtown.” The overall concept will involve new retail, a redevelopment program for the Winn Dixie and Royal Plaza site and the provision of a critical component — the construction of a public /private parking structure to serve the “Downtown.”

•Bill Finfrock - City Site Parking Garage & Front Liner Building.

Our internationally known development and construction firm of Finfrock will lead the way in designing, manufacturing and constructing the new parking facility. This structure is proposed to be located on city property on the corner of Horatio Avenue and Independence Lane and is to be funded with both public and private dollars.

•Bob & Ed Cantu – PDA.

The firm of Professional Designs Associates, Inc. has worked with the Smith family, Finfrock Industries and the city in developing a conceptual scheme for the “Downtown”, which includes a master plan for the Winn Dixie/Royal Plaza site. These plans are in the development stage and have been presented to the new owners.

Stay tuned; Maitland is poised to become the hub of new downtown development over the next 24 months. As we move on to implement each of these proposals, we will give you the updated information on each project so that you can share our excitement and success with us. Copies of these presentations will be posted on the city’s website, itsmymaitland.com

—Verl Emrick, Director, Community Redevelopment Agency